


Immature Maiden

by bethany81707



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi | Fire Emblem: Binding Blade
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Attempted Seduction, F/M, Flash Fic, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Master/Servant, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:55:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24264697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethany81707/pseuds/bethany81707
Summary: Clarine sends for her favourite knight to come and visit her in her chambers. Her expectations were perhaps set a little too high.
Relationships: Clarine/Lance
Kudos: 2





	Immature Maiden

Clarine looked herself over in her mirror one last time, wondering if it was perhaps too late for her to call off this meeting and pretend the idea had never occurred to her. Unfortunately, Lance would already be on his way here, and there was no room for her to lose her nerve. She had to say whatever she felt was appropriate to say, might as well commit and expose her heart.

She sat on her bed, breathing deeply as she nervously nursed her body. Covered only by a purple bustier that resembled her daywear, Clarine wondered if perhaps Lance would forever look upon her and think back to this meeting, even if things did not turn out as envisaged. She reached for the corner of her quilt to cover herself up, only for her bed to be far too well made and the errant corner refused to budge to merely her off hand.

“You called, Lady Clarine?” Lance’s voice asked. Clarine froze. He was here, and polite and upstanding as he was, he would at least open her door to check on her safety. Clarine had to respond now to keep herself in control.

“Of course, my knight, you may enter,” Clarine said, steeling herself for a smile as he entered her room and his eyes naturally fell upon her uncovered body. Her nerves battered at her expression, and one of her hands came to her mouth for her to nibble on while she tried to keep the other one from coming up over her neckline or her bare thighs. She became quite aware of how stumpy her bare feet looked, and swung them backwards in a vain attempt to hide them in the gap under her bed.

“Is something the matter, Lady Clarine?” Lance asked. The young boy was looking at an attractive, underdressed noble girl, Clarine had only the tiniest of doubts he was stifling some unknightly thoughts, but if he was, he was doing so exceptionally well.

“I was hoping I might… I might…” Clarine started, the ideas of cuddling with her knight and allowing him to caress her curves dying in her throat. To do so was incredibly forward, certainly something no tutor of hers would want her to even consider, but she kept the words of her mother and Priscilla closer to her heart. They were showered with affection of all kinds from her father and Erk, and there was nothing she wanted more than to find a man who would do the same for her. And yet, with the cute candidate right in front of her…

“Lady Clarine, with whom do you expect to be married?” Lance asked. Clarine let out a sigh of relief, ready to latch on to whatever the knight said that allowed a conversation to keep happening.

“My mother does not wish for me to be married to a suitor of her choosing. The family of Reglay does not rely on the wealth of peerage, and in the pursuit of the wealth of knowledge and strength, she has learned to value a firm friendship,” Clarine said, barely understanding the specifics herself.

“Then you are incredibly fortunate. I humbly suggest you do not waste this fortune chasing after knights like myself,” Lance said.

“Fortunate? When your own master has a princess who shares with him such strong love? I do not appear to be the only one with the freedom to choose my husband,” Clarine said.

“Master Roy and Mistress Lilina were strong friends first, but when it became clear that the two had strong chemistry, Lord Eliwood and Lord Hector agreed that they would be wed. Even if Master Roy were swayed by Lady Sue or Princess Guinivere, he would find more than his childhood keeping him from pursuing them further,” Lance explained. Clarine could understand that much. If her mother felt there was a boy with as much of a positive influence on her life as Roy was for Lilina, she had no doubt she would pull every string to ensure she would not only be allowed to marry him, but, for want of a nicer word, forced to.

“But what if I do like you?” Clarine asked.

“Do you allow me to speak the truth, Lady Clarine?” Lance asked.

“Of course, you silly boy! Whyever would you believe otherwise?” Clarine exclaimed. Lance bowed before letting his thoughts out.

“You do not love me, Clarine. You are infatuated with me, but no more. You want to have me as your husband because you think I am cute and the idea of a princess and her knight appeals to you. But you do not, and have not, made any attempt to get to know me, nor have you shared the woman you truly are with me. You must be ready to feel open for the man you love, and yet here you are, terrified merely of the thought of me seeing you in a bustier,” Lance said. Clarine was ready to fire back something fierce, but she was stopped. She had allowed him to say such things, after all, and while he would readily apologise if she asked, it would not be fair to do so.

“...Are you absolutely sure?” Clarine asked, tears all but in her eyes.

“Would you care for a hug, Clarine?” Lance asked. Clarine could hear the accusation in his tone. Even that most chaste of affection eluded her. She knew, if she was to receive that hug, it would not compare to those Erk gave to Priscilla. The tears began in earnest.

“Would you care for a hug, Lady Clarine? Lance asked once again, now completely in his usual polite demeanour. He asked because she was scared, vulnerable, and needed someone to comfort her, and he would provide that comfort freely and friendly.

“I would like nothing more,” Clarine said. She found herself wrapped up in his embrace. And, as he had predicted, she was not swooning.

But she was feeling better about it.


End file.
